Are you one of those people who love the rainy season? Or does your mood dip when you see those grey clouds up in the sky? If you happen to fall under the second category, find solace in the fact that you are not alone – and you can beat this. Try out these tips to beat the monsoon blues.
But first, let’s see what the monsoon blues constitute.
The clinical term is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and people are prone to it when the sun isn’t shining brightly.
Dr. Satyakant Trivedi, a Consultant Psychiatrist at Bansal Hospital, Bhopal, says:
SAD depression with a seasonal pattern includes having depression that begins and ends during a specific season every year (with full remittance during other seasons) for at least two years and having more seasons of depression than seasons without depression over a lifetime. Seasonal pattern disorders occur most frequently in winter although they can also occur in summer (known as reverse SAD).
He goes on to say that those most at risk are female, younger, live far from the equator, and have family histories of depression, bipolar disorder, or SAD. A person suffering from it can feel sad, easily irritable frequent crying spell and they feel tired and lethargic, have difficulty in concentrating, sleep more than normal, lack energy, decrease their activity levels, withdraw from social activities, crave sweets and gain weight due to overeating.
Now, let’s see what you can do to beat SAD:
1. Dress up in bright colors
Does your wardrobe have a lot of blacks, browns, and whites? While these colors look great (they are not wardrobe staples without reason), they are not a good choice in the monsoon as they can seriously impact your happiness. Scientists have found that you can raise your happiness levels by simply wearing brighter clothes. Dentist Humerah Inamdar agrees. She says: Like so many people, the rains make me feel blue and dull. It often tempts you to laze around all day! One thing that always helps improve my mood is bright colors. Not only do I wear shades of colors like red, yellow and hot pink more often, I also try to incorporate these colors in my home as well. The energy in these colors really cheers me up!
2. Change your point of view
It’s plain to see – the rain is far more crucial than it is irksome. For us folks who tend to focus on the gloominess, it brings, looking at it from another angle can help us accept, if not appreciate it. Software Engineer Siddharth Khawas shares how well this has worked for him:
Monsoon blues. I used to feel them till last year, but after I read in details about all the factors and all the hard work that comes into play so as to cause the Monsoons, I am happy to see them arrive this year. Because it tells me that after a year-long pursuit and lots of hard work this was possible. The monsoon thus has become a source of inspiration and motivation for me.
3. Trick your mind into being happy
Although I am a monsoon baby, I am not a huge fan of this season as it messes with my mood big-time. Since I can’t control the weather, I trick my mind into feeling happier. I don’t like how the rain makes me feel, but I seriously appreciate the greenery and the fragrance of wet mud. So I focus on them and pretend as if they are the only changes that have taken place. Doing so enables me to somewhat view the lack of sunshine as background noise. Of course, some days, this doesn’t work. And that’s when I treat myself to something I love but don’t get to indulge in often, like an overpriced but kind of worth it cup of my favorite beverage: coffee. Having something special to look forward to helps me feel more upbeat and positive about life.
Whatever you do, don’t let the blues control you. Psychiatrist Dr. Trivedi suggests the following: Just regulate your daily routine, sleep cycle, food habits, continue exercise. Talk to someone who you can trust and keep yourself busy doing things you love. Unfortunately, he recommends visiting a psychiatrist when you feel symptoms are severe or unmanageable. Antidepressants, light therapy, Vitamin D supplements, and counseling approaches are the most effective treatment strategies that will put you out of your misery.
What do you do to avoid feeling low in the rains? Let me know in the comments below.
